Related Field
The present invention relates to an apparatus for reliably determining the position of an object regarding a relative movement between the object and a path, comprising: a detector attached to or integrated in the object, at least one marker being located along the path, wherein the at least one marker is detected by the detector within its spatial detection range for determining the position of the object relative to the marker.
Further, the present invention relates to a method for reliably determining the position of an object regarding a relative movement between the object and a path, wherein a detector is attached to or integrated in the object, wherein at least one marker is located along the path, and wherein the at least one marker is detected by the detector within its spatial detection range for determining the position of the object relative to the marker.
Description of Related Art
An apparatus and a method for reliably determining the position of an object is known from US 2009/0067673 A1. This document shows an apparatus and a method for reliably determining the position of an object regarding a relative movement between the object and a path. Particularly, an object in the form of a vehicle moves along a path, wherein a detector in the form of a camera is attached to the object and a plurality of markers in the form of code elements is located along the path. The markers are detected by the camera within its spatial detection range for determining the position of the vehicle relative to the markers.
The known apparatus and method are frequently applied within different industrial fields wherein the determination of the position of the object regarding a relative movement between the object and the path is very important for a reliable industrial process. Thus, it is an object for developers of such apparatuses and methods to enhance the level of reliability of such apparatuses and methods. If, for example, the detector or camera does not work correctly, errors regarding the position determination can arise with sometimes significant problems or risks of damages for users or equipment.
There exist enhancements of known apparatuses and methods comprising a second detector or camera for verifying correct function of a first detector or camera. Such second detectors or cameras reveal functional errors of the first detector or camera, such as a frozen image or a hanging up of corresponding analyzing or processing software of the first detector or camera.
However, such a solution with a second detector or camera for providing a redundant monitoring channel is costly and needs a lot of mounting space.